The Tutor
by Haiti2013
Summary: Sure, her grades had been slipping a little but that didn't mean she needed a tutor, right?


Mindy sat at her desk in a desperate and futile attempt to stay awake. Her eyelids felt heavy and kept dropping shut as she yawned in boredom. She gazed around the classroom and wasn't surprised to find that most of the other students were falling asleep too-well, almost everyone. Danny _Castel-lame-o_ was, of course, sitting in the front and fervently taking notes on every word that spilled out of their teacher's mouth. She didn't get why he did that. He was already the smartest guy in the class, why did he have to look like he cared so much? It was so uncool. Mindy sighed and glanced at the boy sitting a couple of seats ahead of her.

He sat slumped back in his seat, yawning every so often. He couldn't look like he cared less about what was going on around him. The girls in the class were obsessed with him and he knew it. In fact, he revealed in that fact. Every minute or so, he would glance at a random girl and winked, making her day and in some cases her week. He was English, so already he was 25% more attractive than the other guys in the room. He was tan, tall, had an athletic form and alluring brown eyes. _Jeremy Reid. _Now _he_, was cool.

"Okay, since no one but Daniel is listening to me, I guess I'll hand back your tests now," the teacher decided. Mindy looked up and bit her bottom lip anxiously. That last test hadn't been one of her best, she had spent the night, well, engaged in some other activities and had completely forgotten to study. She watched silently as the teacher placed the tests in front of their owners. A couple groans escaped the lips of her classmates as they read their scores, even Danny slumped in his seat after seeing his score.

_Oh God, if he did bad, I'm totally screwed. _

"Mrs. Lahiri?" her professor asked as he arrived at her desk.

"Yea?"

"I expect more of you," he said disappointedly as he placed her test faced down in front of her.

_Crap._

While her teacher passed out the rest of the papers, Mindy had a staring contest with the white packet in front of her, trying to weigh the possibilities.

_Okay, it could be a C and that's not too bad. I could still get a B before the end of the semester. But what if it's not a C? What if it's a D? Or dear God, an F? My parents will kill me if I get an F! It's not an F, it can't be an F. I'm too pretty to fail, right? Yes, of course. I'm just freaking myself out, it's fine...it has to be._

Mindy held her breath and flipped her test over. _60. _

_Just great._

"Alright, so if you have any questions or concerns about your test, I am available for an hour after class today or you can make an appointment, but remember I will only look at a test up to three class periods after it was returned. After that, you're on your own," the teacher explained. He looked around the room, only to be greeted with death glares from his students. But he didn't take it seriously, this kind of hostility reared it's ugly head after every test, so he just smiled and nodded, "Okay, since you're all focused now, let's get back to the lesson. Now, the most important thing to look for when dealing with a premature-"

-RRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGGG-

"Oh, is it 3 already?" he asked, glancing at his watch. "Well, alright, please read the next three chapters of the textbook for next class, there will be a quiz. Off you go then," he waved as the students filed out of the classroom.

Mindy waited a few minutes for most of her classmates to leave before heading for her professor's desk to ask about her test, but there was already a line forming. He was talking to another student so everyone else had to wait and take a seat in the front row of desks. Mindy sat down next to Danny who was flipping through his test.

"Didn't do so well?" she asked.

"No, I did everything right, _he _messed up," he said, looking up from his test to glare at the teacher.

"What did you get?"

"A 97," he deadpanned.

"A 97? You're complaining about a 97?"

"Yes, because I deserved a perfect score and don't worry, I will get it," he assured.

"I wasn't worried," she chuckled.

"What about you? How'd you do?"

"I didn't get a 97."

"What did you get?"

"Not a 97," she repeated bluntly.

"Neither did I," laughed a British accent as a guy claimed the seat next to Mindy. "Then again, I doubt anyone did." The Indian girl blushed a little as Jeremy looked at her and Danny rolled his eyes.

"I got a 97 but I deserved a 100." The Brit looked at Danny with an impressed expression.

"You're complaining about a 97? Do you want to switch?" he joked.

"What did you get?"

"75."

"That's not bad at all," Mindy assured and Jeremy gently placed his hand on her arm.

"Thanks love, but it simply won't do," he explained. "Hopefully, Mr. Johnson over there will be understanding."

"I'm sure if you explain your situation-" she suggested but Danny cut her off.

"His situation?" he questioned. "And what is that exactly? That he was too lazy to study?"

"I'll have you know that I was visiting my sick aunt and didn't have time to properly review the material until very late at night. And if you knew the slightest thing about memory, last minute cramming does not help you retain information, no matter how hard you try," Jeremy said, wholeheartedly, looking a bit hurt.

"That's so true and it's totally not your fault," Mindy said. "Why do you have to be so mean, Danny?"

"I didn't know," he told Jeremy, apologetically. "Is she okay?"

"I don't really have a sick aunt, at least, I hope not," the Englishman smiled. "But I'm pretty sure Mr. Johnson will buy it," he winked. "And he might let me redo the test."

"So you're lying?" asked Danny.

"You think he'd actually let you retake the test?" Mindy wondered.

"Yea, the professor's a sucker for sob stories," Jeremy claimed.

"You know that's wrong," Danny asserted and the British man sighed.

"I know, but I can't keep such a low score on my exam," he explained. "I need another chance." Mindy couldn't help but swoon at Jeremy's sad disposition. His head was a little bowed and his deep brown eyes looked helpless. She just wanted to hug him..

"Everyone deserves a second chance," Mindy agreed.

"If you believe that, why don't you just ask the teacher to let you retake the test?" Danny questioned.

"You see, I would, but I don't want it to look like he's giving me special treatment."

"You're so smart and considerate," Mindy nodded.

"Smart? He's lying!" Danny snapped at the two of them, causing Mindy to groan and face him.

"He's just trying to raise his grade!"

"He should try studying like everyone else!"

"Ugh, do you always have to be such a killjoy?"

"At least I'm honest."

"Still makes you a nerd."

"You know what? I-"

"Mindy?" asked Mr. Johnson, looking over to the front row. "Come over here." Mindy nodded and headed to the man's desk.

"What?" demanded Danny. "I was here first!"

"Calm down, Daniel," the professor waved off. "We'll get to your two points in a minute."

"Three," the Italian grumbled, slouching in his seat.

"So, Mindy," Mr. Johnson began, taking the test from her hand. "Do I even want to know?" he asked, looking at the red 60 on the front page.

"Sir, I don't know what happened," she explained. "I tried to study but it didn't help."

"You tried to study?"

"Yes!"

"Really?"

"Well, I read the book."

"Are you sure you-"

"Fine, the book was lying open on my bed but I _did_ look at it every once in awhile."

"I-"

"Okay! The book _was_ in my room, whether it was open or not is up for debate."

"Mindy-"

"Alright, I forgot to study, but I really did _plan_ to. I'm so sorry Mr. Johnson, but I can't show my parents this," she begged. "Can't I retake the test? I promise I'll study super hard this time!"

Her professor sighed and gave her a look of pity.

"Okay, this is what I'll do-"

"Thanks so much Mr. Johnson! You won't regret it, I promise I'll-"

"Mindy," he said sternly, to get her to stop talking. "I'm _not _going to let you retake the test."

"But-"

"What I _will _do, is make your next test count as double so your final grade won't be affected by this test," he explained. "Unless you don't study for the next one."

"Oh, I will," she nodded. "I'm going to study like crazy."

"Mindy, have you read any of the material?" he asked seriously.

"Um, well there's no time like the present," she joked. "How hard can it be?"

"Yea," he replied worriedly. "Maybe I can help you."

"Hmm?"

"Daniel?" he called. Before she could understand what was happening, the guy was standing beside her.

"I'm glad you called me over here, sir," Danny began, already searching through his test. "You see here, on number 35-"

"I'm not giving you the extra points, Daniel," the teacher sighed. "You got them wrong, I triple checked."

"No, you see that's impossible," he argued. "The book said-"

"You can't base your knowledge on a singular book, I base my tests on the multitude of texts I gave you at the beginning of the year."

"But _you _said, that this test was based on chapter 15 in the Erikson-"

"I said that a _majority _of the questions came from that book, yes, but not all."

"But that's-"

"Not that this argument isn't riveting," Mindy interjected. "But what does this have to do with me?"

"Why is she still here?" Danny asked.

"Right," Mr. Johnson remembered. "Daniel, I'm not going to add points to your test," he began, to which the Italian groaned. "But I will give you extra credit, if you agree to tutor Mindy."

"Wait, what?" she asked. Danny looked at the teacher for a moment, before turning to Mindy.

"You need a tutor?" he asked.

"No!" she claimed.

"Yes," disagreed the professor. "Will you do it, Danniel?"

"How much extra credit?"

"Enough."

"Sure," Danny shrugged before walking off.

"What, no," Mindy protested. "Don't I get a say in this?" she asked her teacher.

"Not really," Mr. Johnson said.

"But I don't need a tutor!"

"You're grade begs to differ and remember, you're the one who said you wanted to do really well next time. Well, _he _is my best student. So, I suggest you follow him and set a time or something."

"But-"

"Nope," he said, raising his hand. "Go." Dismissed, Mindy trudged over to Danny who was packing up his things.

"So, when are we doing this?"

"Do what?"

"Studying," she said, irritated.

"Oh, I'm sorry I couldn't glean that from your extremely vague phrase," he replied sarcastically.

"What else would I talk to _you _for?" Danny rolled his eyes as he put away some notebooks.

"Right. So, how about tomorrow?"

"I can't."

"Why?"

"My best friend, Gwen, and I promised that we were going to go to the spa and-"

"Don't care. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I said I can't."

"Like you're actually going to need the whole day," he claimed sarcastically. "Just meet me after."

"Uh yes, I do 'actually need the whole day'. That's why it's called a spa _day_," she said seriously. "If you don't use the whole day, then like, why would you even go?"

"Well, it's the only day I'm free. Can't you just move your beauty thing?"

"I've had this planned for weeks!"

"And it's those kind of priorities that helped you fail a test," he remarked. Mindy glared at him and clicked her tongue.

"I didn't fail."

"What did you get?"

"None of your business."

"Well, whatever it was, it bad enough for Mr. Johnson to assign you a tutor."

"Fine," she said angrily. "I'll move some things around."

"It's a date," he smirked, leaving the classroom. Mindy sighed in defeat as she turned to look at her professor who was already talking to someone else. She decided to give up, grab her bag and get out of there. As she walked through the door, the strap of her bag gave out, and of course she forgot to zip it up, causing her school supplies to fly all over the place.

_Why does everything happen to me?_


End file.
